


Safe

by Boogum



Series: Stray Cat [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Marichat, purring chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:16:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29898240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boogum/pseuds/Boogum
Summary: Safe. That's how Adrien feels. Safe and warm and welcome.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Stray Cat [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027843
Comments: 3
Kudos: 123





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally in the stray cat collection, which i have now broken up into a series. This particular fic was inspired by fairymathilda's prompt on tumblr: "I love that Adrien can purr when transformed, so could you maybe do some Marichat where Mari kinda starts petting him absent-mindedly and he purrs?" I also love this little cat quirk of Chat Noir's, so I could not refuse such a prompt

Her room is soft pink sunshine and warmth. Very Marinette. There are pictures of him—or at least his civilian self—taken from various magazines and pinned to her wall, but he already knows she's a fan of Adrien Agreste, and he's seen the pictures so many times now that he barely spares them a glance.

He and Marinette have been doing this for a while.

No, no, no! Not like that! Marinette is a friend. A dear, wonderful friend. But somehow she's managed to become Chat Noir's friend as well, and he's really grateful for that. These nights where he can sit with her and just talk and talk and talk have become some of the best nights of his life. Sometimes the two of them play video games. Sometimes the whole family gets involved and there are messy, joke-filled bake-off challenges down in the kitchen. (Adrien especially loves these nights. He and Sabine make an awesome team.)

But then there are also nights where he and Marinette don't say much to each other at all. If he's being honest, these ones just might be his favourite. There's no pressure, no expectations, not even to maintain his Chat Noir persona. He can just enjoy her company in her pink sunshine room and relax.

Tonight is one of these nights. Her parents are out for their "date night" and she has a project to complete. Marinette being Marinette, she doesn't tell him to go away but simply welcomes him inside, sets him up with a mountain of snacks, and then gets stuck back into her crafting. He soon joins her on the floor, handing her brushes or whatever else she needs, but otherwise he's mostly a spectator to her creativity. They learnt the hard way how much he sucks at anything involving scissors, glue, and paint.

Time passes with a lazy ease—at least for him. She gets into that extra-focussed zone where he knows she's half-forgotten he's there, but it doesn't bother him like it does with his father. Marinette is always willing to share the same space with him. When she does look up and catch his gaze, she smiles in warm delight, like she's just so pleased to be reminded he is there. His father has never done such a thing. In the rare times Adrien even gets to be in the same room as his father, the look he most often receives upon being noticed is one asking why Adrien is still there, followed by a swift dismissal.

It's no wonder he prefers to spend his nights in Marinette's home whenever he can.

Rain _pitter-patters_ softly outside. The sound is soothing, much like the little _skritch-scratchers_ of her pen or the crispness of scissors sliding through paper. He stretches out on his stomach next to her and props his chin on his folded arms, content to watch her create. His tail gives a few lazy flicks before settling. Everything is lulling, everything so warm and comfortable. His eyelids droop.

"Look at you," she says in an amused tone. "You really are like a cat."

He hums in agreement, too wrapped up in sleepy contentment to make a better response. She laughs and the gentle _skritch-scratch_ of her pen starts up again. A moment passes before her fingers slip into his hair, brushing against his ears and petting him as if he really is some soft-coated feline curled up at her side. Adrien doesn't mind this new form of affection between them. In fact, he leans into the pets, eyes still closed.

A low yet very distinctive purr escapes him.

Marinette's fingers still. "Oh."

Brow furrowing, he bumps her palm with his head, nuzzling a little as if to say _more, please_.

"Silly kitty," she says with a laugh, but she obliges and his purrs soon hum between them in a steady, peaceful rhythm.

Safe.

That's how he feels. Safe and warm and welcome. Marinette's touch is everything in that moment. He's content to indulge, to let his cat instincts express what he's still too shy to say in human words. Not that she seems to mind. She pets his hair for a long time, perhaps just as content to listen to him purr.

The whole night is pretty much perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> you can tell i wrote this before oblivio, because we now know Adrien is some crafting whiz. Whipping out cardboard costumes with no trouble, complete with bell and pockets ghjkghjk


End file.
